


Planning For Life - Episodes

by WauryD



Series: Planning For Life [2]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Making Out, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-22
Updated: 2019-05-14
Packaged: 2019-05-27 03:11:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15015383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WauryD/pseuds/WauryD
Summary: These 1-chapter episodes are meant to further explore the characters, settings, relationships and family life that were sometimes glossed over for pacing purposes in Planning For Life. Each episode will have a short description of where they fit in the timeline, and warnings before them if applicable.NOTE: They are neither written nor posted in chronological order, but they will eventually be when I’m done writing them :P





	1. Missed Connection

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all so much for your patience!! Getting used to the new job + the side, non-paying job of organizing roller derby events left me with little energy or time, but I’m hoping to get back to it now!
> 
> This was not betaed, so all the mistakes are 100% mine :P
> 
> This fits in between chapter 29 (The Morning After, in which they discuss their newfound status of a romantic couple for realz) and 30 (Life As We Know It, which starts in the spring after chapter 29, in which they have been together for a few months already, and intimate).

“I’m sorry.”

Jaime kissed her forehead, knowing there was nothing he could say that would appease her worry. “There’s nothing to be sorry for,” he tried anyway. 

“I just - “ Another sigh. He understood even as she struggled to put it into words. There was so much that her rational mind was unable to truly counter. 

This was not the first time that they had tried to push their making out session further. Just as in those other instances, Brienne’s discomfort in their intimacy had put a stop to any more pleasant developments.

He knew it might take time, and that did not faze him in the least. They had all the time in the world. In her mind, however, things seemed more urgent, and he had yet to find a way to at least appease that part of her anxiety.

“I just feel it’s unfair to you,” she finally articulated, her head against his chest. They had turned caresses into snuggles instead.  _ That _ at least was known territory.

“Unfair?” he asked with genuine surprise. “How is it unfair to  _ me _ ? I keep worrying that I’m pressuring  _ you _ \- “

“You’re not! I  _ want _ this! I just - don’t know how - “

She was at a loss for the proper words again, and he held her a bit tighter. “I love you,” he said softly, and he felt her sigh in his arms. “This is supposed to be fun for both of us. If it’s not fun for you, it isn’t for me either. It shouldn’t be. Whatever time we need to make it work, we’ll take it. I’m not going anywhere,” he finished with a smile. 

Brienne was silent for a moment, and he thought he had driven his point across, until she spoke up again.

“But you’re a man. I know you have needs. And I just can’t fulfill those and it makes me feel like I’m failing - “

“Okay, wow, no. No no no. Hold up,” he interrupted, stunned. Sitting up, he turned on his bedside lamp, and pulled her closer so her worried eyes were level with his. You’re not failing at anything. There is no scenario in which not having sex is going to kill me. Or pull me away from you, if that’s what you’re afraid of,” he added, stroking her cheek. She averted her eyes, and he knew he’d struck a chord. “I haven’t had much sex in the last few years and I’m still perfectly sane, or thereabout,” he joked with a smirk, daring her to seize the occasion to tease him. She didn’t, but a smile lit up her eyes. A good enough start.

“No sex for years?” she asked curiously. “I call bullshit.”

He laughed. “And yet! Certainly not since we got married, because of the infidelity clause,” he explained. The prenup had only been designed to avoid a scandal before they separated, and to guarantee her good enough means to take care of the girls. Even after they’d decided not to split, he had not seen fit to remove it. He would have, if she had met someone else. But he hadn’t needed to for himself. “And before that... I need to be really attracted to the  _ person _ to have sex with them, so there hasn’t been that many. And I was usually not sober.”

She blinked at him for a few seconds, silent.

“And now you’re trying to have sex with  _ me _ ?  _ Sober _ ?”

It took a moment for him to register her meaning, but he frowned disapprovingly when he did. “I  _ am _ attracted to you. I think I’ve been damn clear about that. And it’s nothing new, either,” he added. “Beginning of our second year, I had already started dreaming of you. Oh,  _ make me _ tell you,  _ please _ ,” he sursurred when she looked confused, a blush blooming at the collar of her shirt.

“I - that makes no sense, Jaime,” she protested, and he chuckled, pulling her to him so she straddled him. “I’m not - I don’t - “

“Well it started like that. Pleasant dreams that were pretty damn confusing when I woke up right next to you. And while I don’t feel the need to have sex all that often, I did start enjoying the... thought of you shortly after.”

She was now looking shocked, almost scandalized, which was more entertaining than he’d have imagined. Shifting her closer, he lowered his voice to a husk, leaning forward so he breathed on her lips.

“I still do. Every time,” he said softly, taking great care not to smirk at her deepening blush. He slipped his hands under her shirt, fingers slowly stroking her sides. “Do you think of me when you’re pleasuring yourself?”

A shiver ran through her, and he felt goosebumps under his palms. Her mouth opened and closed wordlessly, and she licked then bit her plump bottom lip. He smiled, and closed the space between them to kiss her languorously. She was already far more yielding than she had been minutes before, and he feared she might retreat once again if he could not manage to nudge her past her fears.

He pressed his forehead to hers when they parted, hoping that his expression would convey all the love and desire he felt. There was arousal and want in the depths of her perfect blue eyes, and he was now close to desperation to reach that. He didn’t need the sex, dammit, but if they could just attain that connection -

She sighed, closing her eyes as he caressed her cheek. Her hand rose to his neck, and he covered it with his as she stroked his jaw. If only she understood what her touch did to him...

He kissed her palm, then slid it to his chest, over his heart. She met his eyes, breathless, and suddenly he understood.  _ I’ve been going about this completely the wrong way. _

Leaning back, he pulled off his shirt over his head, a cool breeze briefly washing over his skin. He could already see Brienne look nervous, but he now knew what she needed in order not to run.

Taking her hands again, he kissed her fingers, never breaking eye contact. He guided her palms to his naked shoulders, encouraging her to touch and explore. He tilted his head to kiss her neck, feeling the rush of her pulse under his lips.

She didn’t need to be aroused. She needed to be shown, without a doubt, that she turned  _ him _ on. No words would truly convince her of that.

Her fingers wandered along his ribs, and he felt his own blood heat up. She tentatively pressed her lips to his shoulder, pulling a soft moan out of him. She was already bolder than he had hoped.

“What do I do?” she asked quietly after a moment, and he was about to answer  _ anything you godsdamn please _ , but she added, “in your dreams?”

Jaime had to lean back to blink at her, momentarily stunned by her audacity, and by the arousal it provoked. She still looked shy and uncertain, but there was also a certain pride on her mouth that gave him shivers.

He considered his reply for a second, studying her face. “You kiss my skin,” he whispered. “You touch. You own of every inch of my body. Sometimes you bite,” he added with a mischievous smile, and she echoed the same. “Not too hard,” he warned.

“But not too soft,” she grinned, and he realized he would happily let her draw blood if she had the passion to. He kissed her, happy to feel her warm hands roaming his skin. Pulling her along, he leaned back to lie down. If they only made out like this for the rest of the night, he would consider it a victory for them both.

On her hands and knees, she looked down at him with darkened eyes. As she bent down for a slow, searching kiss, he suddenly felt the dynamic shift. Whether she realized it or not, she was taking the lead, and he was more than happy to follow. Hesitantly, she trailed her lips and tongue on his throat, nipping gently at the skin as he exhaled ragged breaths. It had been so fucking long since he’d been touched like that. Since he’d been wanting  _ her _ to touch him like that.

She moved down to his chest, stroking his ribs with delicate fingers, then tentatively ran her thumbs over both of his nipples. A chuckle escaped him, and he glanced down at her. She seemed a bit apprehensive, but the heated look he gave appeared to help, as she returned with a light bite that made him flinch.

“Too hard?” she grinned, and for a moment he could have sworn the shy maiden was just an act.

“Be gentle with me,” he admonished, and the moment was gone, replaced by a sliver of insecurity. “You don’t want to damage me too early,” he added quickly to defuse it.

She sat back over his thighs with a dubious expression. “Do I want to damage you at all?”

He licked his lips at the idea. “Well, it might happen. Scratches in the throes of passion. An ardent bite. I would not be opposed to some form of branding by my lady wife.”

She rolled her eyes. “Stop calling me that, I’m not a lady.”

“You are my wife, and one day I might be Lord Lannister - “

“You will not be Lord and you know it. Your father will never have me set foot in Casterly Rock.”

“You are still nobility in your own right - “

“Tarth did away with titles a lot time ago,” she argued, unimpressed. 

This was not going the way he had been hoping, and there was significantly less touching than there should have been at this point.

He suddenly sat up, and rolled them around so he loomed over her. “Then if you’re a commoner, I could have my way with you - “

She somehow flipped him back, holding his wrists beside his head. “Not if I have  _ my _ way with you first,” she smirked.

“ _ Please _ ,” he breathed, finding himself a lot more aroused than he’d have imagined by the short bout of wrestling.

Casting him a disapproving look, she let got of his wrists. “Jaime - “

He tugged her down to him, wrapping a leg around hers, pressing her against his whole body as he kissed her eagerly. When they parted, he knew she had felt the hardness of his groin. Caressing her cheek, he whispered again.

“Please.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is as explicit as it’s gonna get, cause anything else doesn’t quite fit with the tone of the story. Sorry?


	2. A Birthday Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shortly after their first “wedding” anniversary, Brienne’s birthday comes up. Not that she feels there really is anything to celebrate, but in a family, it’s not always your choice...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all SO MUCH for your patience!! I have more in progress - that will focus on the kids, among others, I promise!
> 
> I will be posting 10 episodes total. There is still one spot I haven’t filled yet, so you can still suggest things. I’m not using all the request, sadly, because I need to find the right angle, but I hope it’s all still satisfying :)
> 
> This is unbetaed. Enjoy!

Jaime waited for the children to have cleared the kitchen before bringing up the topic. 

He had found out only days before they had gotten married that Brienne’s birthday fell not quite two weeks after their wedding, and he’d only learned of it because her birthdate had been written on the form. Flowers had been sent to her flat then, with a quiet “thank you” text message in return.

Their first anniversary had just gone by - uncelebrated, as she felt it would have been honouring a lie - and her birthday would shortly be next. They hadn’t had a chance to celebrate his in the mess of the previous spring, which didn’t bother him in the least; but she deserved something special. It would be only her 25th, after all, and the way she had been acquitting her duties to their family after suddenly becoming a mother to four kids commended recognition.

When he brought up the subject, however, she cringed.

“I don’t need anything,” she argued, rinsing off pans in the sink.

“That’s not exactly the point,” Jaime sighed, understanding that this was going to be a useless battle. “You can enjoy things even if you don’t need them.”

“Isn’t that a waste, then?”

“Not if you  _ enjoy them _ ,” he chided with a grin. He already knew she wouldn’t agree to anything, and that she would be cross if he tried to press her into it.  _ She works too hard. _

“I’m already enjoying my life, thanks,” she declared, effectively closing the topic as she shut the dishwasher door. Jaime sighed, watching her head for the laundry room, where clean clothes waited to be folded. At least he had tried.

 

***

 

Not-so-quiet whispers woke Brienne up a couple of days later, and she opened her eyes in the darkness, momentarily confused. The bedroom doors were slightly ajar, letting a soft ray of light in from the kitchen’s counter spots and outlining short silhouettes.

Before she could get her bearings, she felt Jaime shift off the bed, and watched him usher the voices out of the room. A quick look at the alarm clock showed it was almost a quarter to seven, and she worried that something might have happened. Shaking herself awake, she slipped out of bed.

Jaime stopped her at the door, blocking her way.

“What’s going on?” She was still groggy, and this was all highly unusual.

“Nothing, everything’s fine,” he insisted, trying to turn her around. “You can go back to sleep.”

Twisting out of his hold, she frowned at him and attempted to shoulder past him. He stopped her with a sigh.

“Okay, okay,” he conceded, knowing he wouldn’t be able to stop her without an explanation. “I had nothing to do with it,” he started with insistence, “but they wanted to make you breakfast for your birthday,” he whispered. “ _ It’s a surprise _ ,” he added with a knowing look.

Was it that day already? Brienne rubbed her eyes, trying to make sense of things now that the urgency had passed. “How do they know? I never told them what date it is.”

“Err,” Jaime grinned apologetically, and she shot him a glare. “I didn’t tell them  _ recently _ , they asked about it months ago! I didn’t’ think they’d have remembered!”

“It’s still your fault,” she grumbled, but she was going to have to admit defeat. There was no way she’d tell the kids that she didn’t want them to do anything. She headed back for bed, ready to patiently stare at the ceiling and trying not to worry about the kids hurting themselves on the stove.

She was about to slip back under the covers when she caught Jaime’s expression, as if he wanted to add something, but changed his mind. “Jaime,” she warned, but he waved her off with a smirk.

“It’s fine! Go back to sleep!”

There was no way she’d sleep again that morning, and he knew it. She tried to distract herself with possible revenge plans she could exact on him, but she was still alert to any sign of trouble from the kitchen. Things were fairly quiet, aside from some giggling that almost concerned her more than tears of pain.

Finally, after what felt like hours, the whispers were back near the doors, and she did her best to pretend to be asleep as the lot of them entered the room, as quietly as four kids might. Soon there was added weight to the bed, and she opened her eyes to see smiling faces on either side of her, and Jaime standing by with a large tray.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!”

She sat up slowly, as if she’d just woken up, and the kids started explaining excitedly what they had prepared for her as she was presented with the food. There were pancakes (Myrcella had made the mix, Jaime had cooked them), slices of lost bread (Arya had done them under supervision), pieces of fruit (carefully sliced by Sansa) and fresh-pressed orange juice (that Tommen had done twice after dropping the container only once). There were also flowers in a vase that were suspiciously crisp, as if they’d come from a shop...

There was no way she would be able to eat all of that by herself, and Jaime had had the same thought, bringing enough cutlery for all the kids to dig in as well. Normally she would have protested about eating on the bed, but they all looked so proud of their work and of the  _ surprise _ , it would be worth stains on the bedsheets.

Gifts came after they were done eating. Mostly handmade cards and craft projects, including a picture frame with a photo of all four children, “to bring with her at work”. She didn’t have the heart to tell them that she didn’t have her own office space, but she’d take it out of her locker and back everyday if it came to that.

Once the dishes were brought back to the kitchen and the kids returned to their games, satisfied with their work, Brienne leaned against the counter and stared at Jaime.

“Did  _ you  _ get me anything?”

He feigned innocence. “You told me not to,” he shrugged.

She didn’t move. “And did you  _ listen _ ?”

He almost had a sheepish grin, but there was too much pride in it to be honest. Reaching over the refrigerator, he pulled a gift bag that had been laid on its side so not to be visible, and handed it to her. “I’m your husband! What would have it looked next to the kids if I hadn’t?” he weakly attempted to justify.

She grabbed it with one of her disapproving frowns and quickly removed the filling paper. Blinking at the contents for a second, she pulled it out carefully. She’d seen the volume in the reference section of the National Library in King’s Landing, and spent some hours reading parts of it, before her new family occupied most of her time.

But how had Jaime known...?

“You have a good number of books on medieval weaponry, and this seemed to be the most complete,” he explained when she could only shoot him a baffled look.

“It... is,” Brienne agreed, unable to find anything else to say as she carefully leafed through it, revealing detailed crests, high-resolution images and lengthy description of smithing techniques. “Thank you,” she breathed, and he seemed extremely pleased. For a second, she thought he would make a quip about having made the right decision to overlook her wishes, but he didn’t.

“You’re welcome,” he answered in a melodic voice. “Happy birthday.”

She nodded in reply, and he took the empty bag and papers away with a grin. He really shouldn’t be  _ that _ happy to have spent so much money on a gift she had said she didn’t want. Then again, they had a wildly different approach to money. Which was part of why she was now married to him.

A light blush heated her cheeks at the thought. It had been a year, and it was still odd to think of him as her husband, even though it wasn’t...  _ real _ . They cared for one another, sure, and this gift underlined that. But she had realized early on that she’d have to take care not to fall for him. Just as with Renly - or anyone else, she chided herself for thinking - it would only end in heartbreak if she did.

They had become friends. They could rely on one another, and she suspected that it would endure after they separated. That was good enough.

She was smiling a bit sadly at the book when he leaned his chin on her shoulder from behind her, and she almost hit him in surprise. “It’s going to be hard to top that next year though,” he mused nearly in her ear, sending a shiver through her.

“Or you could set the bar higher, and actually try to refrain from buying me anything instead?”

He scoffed. “I do that all the time!”

Rolling her eyes, she stepped away from him, turning around. “I don’t need more  _ things _ !”

There was a sly expression on his face, soon followed by a smirk. “Okay then,” he conceded, and for a second, she thought it was far too easy. “I’ll get you  _ experiences _ , instead.”

“I don’t - “

“- need anything, I know! I know. Just enjoy it, alright? Mothers are always underappreciated, so just... accept that you’ll get spoiled occasionally while we do this. Cause it’s going to happen anyway,” he smirked, and she rolled her eyes. They would probably have that conversation every time, too.

“Whatever.”

“Hey, if you want to feel less special, you can do the dishes,” he offered graciously with a wide smile.

She looked at the pile that waited in the sink, both from the preparation and the eating, then back at Jaime.

“You enabled this, you can deal with the aftermath,” she deadpanned, and walked away with her new book towards the living room. She knew he was still smiling, and that he was perfectly okay with cleaning up. But it felt a bit like a victory anyway. 

He probably felt the same.


	3. The Mysteries Of Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first part of this takes place during the first year at the house, end-of-summer / early autumn. The second part is in the spring before Brienne is almost forcibly sent to the convention ;)
> 
> ***
> 
> The children discuss the matters of their parents’ relationship.

“I don’t get it.”

Arya rolled her eyes as if she had explained the whole thing several times already. Her foster sister, focused on her drawing, didn’t notice.

“They’re not  _ really _ a couple.”

“But they’re married!”

“Yes,” the younger Stark sighed, “but not for real!”

Sansa listened to the exchange with amusement. They had all settled down in the recreation room upstairs, and she’d huddled in the reading nook by the window while her sister, Myrcella, and Tommen sat on the floor at the table next to the sofa. Tommen had been quietly listening to the girls’ conversation while he played with his toys, but Sansa could tell he didn’t quite understand, either.

“They have a ring though, and everything. Like  _ real _ married people. My parents - “ Myrcella didn’t finish her thought, and Arya pushed through the sudden awkwardness quickly.

“Well they’re married for real, but they’re not...” She was clearly struggling to find the right words to explain. The particulars of adult relationships had always seemed stupidly complex to her. And this case was even worse.

“In love?” Tommen quietly offered as an ending to that sentence. All three girls turned their eyes to him, and he blushed almost as deeply as Brienne sometimes did.

Arya pointed to him in victory. “Yeah! That! They’re not  _ in love _ for real!”

“That doesn’t make sense,” Ella grumbled. “Why would they get married if they don’t love each other?”

“It’s easier to adopt children if you have money,” Sansa piped up from her spot. “And if you’re married.”

Tommen looked at her with big, round eyes. “They got married for  _ us?! _ ”

She considered explaining that the Baratheons were probably not part of the original plan, she didn’t think, but decided against. That wasn’t something they needed to dwell on. “Something like that,” the Stark girl agreed, walking over to the sofa next to them. 

They silently digested that information for a moment.

“I don’t think I could ever get married if I wasn’t in love,” Myrcella pondered aloud, returning to her drawing.

“Well, nobody asked you,” Arya retorted, earning a slap on the shoulder from her older sister. “What?”

“It was probably not an easy decision for them,” Sansa explained, glaring at Arya. “Sometimes you have to make tough choices because there are things more important than how you feel.”

Her own came to mind, and the year she had spent silent on her pain and her fear while they stayed with their aunt. Because she knew that if she spoke up, they might get separated. They had lost far too much of their family already, they couldn’t lose one another, too.

They had been lucky that choice had paid off, and they now had a safe home, with new siblings. She’d almost screwed that up, she remembered with guilt. It had only been a rash, off-handed comment to a teacher, shortly after she had read on the possible involvement of Jaime’s family with the fire at their home, and it had snowballed. It had felt like a sort of vengeance at first, but it had backfired and threatened their newfound family.

When Brienne had explained that the rumours of Lannister involvement in her parents’ deaths had likely been engineered by Baelish, she had almost felt as if she had been back in the Vale, within his reach. The thought that she had played into his game still made her feel sick.

Short but determined arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her out of painful memories. Tommen looked up at her with sympathetic eyes, and she smiled. Somehow none of the others had been angry at her for lying, and she suspected that both Brienne and Jaime had made sure of that.

“They just want to make sure we have a family,” Sansa said softly. “It’s more important to them than being in love, that’s all.”

All three nodded thoughtfully, resuming their respective activities. After a moment, Myrcella considered her drawing and declared with serious, “Maybe I’ll adopt kids, one day.”

 

***

 

Tommen watched dubiously as Jaime smiled at Brienne after opening the present she’d gotten him. They were celebrating his fortieth birthday, and she had managed to obtain favour tickets to the football finale, opposing the King’s Landing Dragons to the Sunspear Sand Snakes. Ella’s  _ friend _ in Dorne had probably helped with that.

The parents hugged, and though he would not have been able to put words on it, Tommy noticed how  _ close _ they held one another. How  _ delighted _ uncle Jaime looked just for football tickets. He liked the sport, sure, but not  _ that _ much. And Brienne seemed to be oddly glowing with pride. 

When the boy went to bed that night, it was still on his mind, and he stared at the ceiling for a while.

“Ella?” he whispered, hoping his sister had not yet fallen asleep.

“Mmmm,” came as an answer, but that was good enough. He just needed to speak his thoughts aloud.

“I think they’re in love now,” he said quietly.

“Who?”

“Uncle Jaime and Brienne.” He smiled. It had always made him a little sad that they couldn’t have a family  _ and _ be in love, so this was an especially happy realization for him.

“No, they’re not,” Myrcella mumbled from her bed. “They don’t even kiss.”

“Maybe they don’t know it yet,” Tommy explained. “Sometimes that’s how it happens. It’s not always like a prince and a princess, you know.” His sister always talked about great romances, and he quietly revelled in his better understanding of their parents’ relationship. “When they realize, they’ll kiss,” he predicted.

“Whatever,” Ella grumbled, rolling around to properly fall asleep.

Tommen stayed alone with his thoughts for a while more, still smiling. “Maybe they’ll have a baby,” he wondered aloud as he drifted off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If it needles you that Arya was so unpleasant with Myrcella, do remember that they end up best friends by the wedding ;)


	4. Every second of warmth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaime reflects on the warmth he found in their bed, and their life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So life got away from me in the past few months and while I had started to write a whole new fic for NaNo (I made it to some 22k, can you believe), Things happened and I lost the thread. 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy a short, quiet weekday morning in Jaime’s head, a few weeks before he sends Brienne to the OldTown medieval convention :)

Brienne’s warmth was the first thing Jaime became aware of as he emerged from sleep. Without looking, he knew there were probably a few minutes left before the alarm rang and they moved away from one another, but in the meantime he stayed put, her breathing comforting and familiar. 

The first few times they’d woken up entangled, the awkwardness had kept them mute to one another for most of their morning routine, and then again in the evening when time came to slip back into bed. 

They had been strangers then, after all, so it was normal. But he knew they’d both wondered how long they’d have to suffer this discomfort for. Not that the cuddling itself was unpleasant, but the embarrassment was. 

Jaime had been surprised at just how soothing it had been to wake up in someone’s arms. He had had a few flings after Cersei, but nothing more than a night or two, and the mornings were even more awkward than with Brienne. Most of the women usually had hopes for more than what it was to him. His wife, at least, didn’t expect anything else than what they had.

More than comforting however, Brienne’s touch - accidental or not - had filled a void he hadn’t realized was there until then. He’d started noticing it when he took custody of the children, and their hugs somehow felt as if they skirted around and defined the edges of an emptiness he’d learned to ignore. 

Then he’d started waking up spooned against Brienne, in a state of contentment and relaxation he couldn’t remember experiencing in recent memory. He’d brushed it off at first, especially with how uncomfortable it seemed to make her. They both gravitated towards warmth and comfort, that was entirely normal - and she had seemed to accept that explanation.

As the months passed though, especially after Cersei’s revelations, Jaime realized it wasn’t just general human contact anymore, but  _ Brienne’s _ that had become so fulfilling. The nights he’d spent with the kids right afterwards, without her, had been incredibly difficult, though he knew he’d deserved the loneliness.

Brienne’s forgiveness that night in the kitchen, a few days after she’d learned the terrible truth, had meant more than he could ever have expressed.  _ Gods, _ he had  _ missed _ her. And savoured after that every single one of her touches, smiles, and her warmth at night.

Nearly two years later, he still did. There was still some residue of awkwardness when she woke up and they were entangled like they were now, because she knew this to be something usually reserved to romantic couples. And that was not what they had. 

Not yet, in any case, he thought as he snuggled a bit closer, his nose in her hair. He felt her sigh, and smiled. She probably needed the affection as much as he did, and he was more than happy to provide. She had turned out to be as best a partner he could have wished for, and he hoped she saw the same in him.

Jaime wondered if she realized the sort of relationship they were slowly drifting towards, as he did. By now he couldn’t imagine a future in which they weren’t an actual couple. It just didn’t make sense. It felt like a logical and natural progression of the affection and trust between them, and though he had questioned whether this was just  _ settling _ , the conclusion was that it definitely wasn’t. Not for him, anyway.

She wasn’t a second choice. He wasn’t desperate. He saw her for all she was, stubborn and naive and caring and solid. Giving her all for their kids. He just hoped she felt the same for him. And that if she did, when the time would come to take a step further, she wouldn’t shy away out of insecurity.

In the meantime, he worked in subtle ways to make sure she felt appreciated, and offered as much affection as he could without it being weird. Sometimes it was a simple touch in passing; other times gently and playfully invading her space until he obtained a smile. He’d bought her flowers once, but she’d seemed so uneasy about it that he’d never done it again.

There were bigger gestures as well, like the one he had been planning for a few months. She’d been a fan of medieval history long before they had even met, and she’d made mention once of the annual medieval convention held in Old Town. That was a three-day event on the other side of the continent. He’d known instantly that while she would have  _ loved _ to go, she wouldn’t even try to, focused as she was on their household.

Clearly that was the perfect occasion for a much needed break. After pulling a few strings and securing the best possible perks for her to attend, he’d remembered just how amazing she had been with blunted swords back on Tarth, and the image of her in an armour had given him a shiver of... arousal, probably.

Finding someone to commission something like that without any fitting, to keep the surprise whole, had been a small miracle, and he’d gotten confirmation the day before that it was almost ready. He wouldn’t be able to see her face when she’d see it for the first time, as it would be delivered to her hotel room, but well. This was about her, after all. 

Combined with the usual morning levels of hormones, thinking of her astonishment and how fierce she would look in that armour suddenly made Jaime realize just  _ how close _ he was snuggling. It had happened before, and they had never spoken a word of it despite her unmissable blushes, so he tried to avoid her waking to that sort of thing. Shifting away slightly, he stopped moving when she stirred. His arm was still around her, his chest against her back, but his hips were removed far enough not to cause embarrassment.

He felt her tense a bit when she realized they were once more entangled. His breathing was deep and even, because Brienne realizing that he was awake and  _ still _ spooning her would also have been awkward. After a moment, she relaxed, and he grinned as she shifted as well but backwards, into him.

If she was going to take advantage of him supposedly being asleep, so would he. Tightening his hold, he sighed deeply in her hair, and had to stop himself from grinning too much when he felt a shiver go through her. He could feel the goosebumps where their arms touched.

There was so much he wanted to tell her, that he couldn’t hope to convey in such stolen moments as these ones. She deserved to hear the words, over and over again, so that she would never doubt them.

Music would soon rise from the alarm clock, signaling the end of their embrace, but he’d spend every remaining second quietly rejoicing that there would many more such mornings. 


	5. Happy ending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaime wakes from a bad dream.

Jaime awoke with a start, heart pounding. Everything was dark, and it took a few moments, blinking, for him to remember where he was. 

His jerking awake had made Brienne stir by his side, and he hoped she wouldn’t wake as well. She’d had so very few hours of sleep in the past weeks, she didn’t need a stupid dream to cut down on that any further. 

No such luck. “You okay..?” came as a sleepy mumbling near his left shoulder. He sighed, instinctively moving to reposition himself and reassure her. Now on his side, facing her, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. 

“Yeah. Just a weird dream.” Hopefully she’d just fall right back asleep. 

“What sort of weird?”

He took a moment to consider it. “You know, when you’re falling, and you wake up startled?”

“Mmhmm.”

“It was like that, but more like something was falling on me.” It had felt equally terrifying, but it was fading. “I’m already forgetting the rest.”

“Okay.” She snuggled closer, the heat of her swollen belly against his abdomen. He almost purred. 

“I hope it’s a boy this time,” he whispered contentedly, a hand rounding her side. She looked up at him, her hair brushing his chin. 

“Are you feeling outnumbered?” she asked mockingly. She knew better. 

“Not since Sansa left the nest. We’ve been at equal numbers since. Not that I’ve been counting,” he added, feigning defensiveness, and she chuckled softly.

He felt her relax, and tension leave his own body. He hadn’t even realized it was there, perhaps a remnant of his dream. 

It was over now, he reminded himself. He would sleep again peacefully. The next day would come with its lot of ordinary challenges, but right now he had Brienne, pregnant with another one of their children, healthy and happy and his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My fanfiction is as valid as any other fanfiction. That’s all I’m gonna say about that :P


End file.
